Avengers Star Didn’t Return for Endgame Over Reported Pay Dispute

Just about everyone who appeared in Avengers: Infinity War returned for Avengers: Endgame, but one actor passed on the opportunity. Carrie Coon, who portrayed Proxima Midnight in Infinity War, declined the chance to reprise the role over a pay dispute. While appearing on the podcast The Big Picture (via People), Coon’s husband Tracy Letts explained why the actress opted to part ways with Marvel. After seeing that Infinity War quickly became one of the highest-grossing films of all time, Coon asked for a raise during negotiations to return in Endgame. After Marvel informed her that they weren’t going to pay her more money, Coon decided to not come back.

“I believe [Marvel] went to her for the second one, and they asked her to be in the second one,” Letts said. “And she said, ‘Well, the first one is the most successful movie ever made. Are you going to pay me any more money?’ And they said, ‘No. We’re not going to pay you any more money. She said, ‘Wow, you’re not going to pay me any more money, then I don’t think I’m going to do it.’ And they said, ‘Well, you should feel yourself fortunate to be part of the Marvel Universe.’ So she declined.”

Letts also explained why the couple didn’t make a “bigger deal” of the situation at the time. “We would’ve made a bigger deal out of this, but it would have involved us watching the movies, and we weren’t going to do that,” he said.

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Premiering in 2018, Avengers: Infinity War was, at the time, the biggest event in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marking the 10th anniversary of the franchise, Infinity War received critical acclaim and broke box office records, ending its run with over $2 billion worldwide. As of this writing, it is the sixth-highest-grossing film of all time.

Proxima Midnight had a key supporting role in Infinity War as a member of Thanos’ Black Order. She died during the Battle of Wakanda. In Endgame, Monique Ganderton portrayed an alternate timeline version of Proxima Midnight (Coon is uncredited as the character’s voice). Coon reprised the role for an episode of the animated series What If…?.

Coon’s stance on the salary dispute is understandable. For starters, she previously explained how her Infinity War gig evolved from voiceover role to full motion-capture, requiring her to be on set to film scenes. Additionally, while an actor’s life seems full of glitz and glamor to outsiders, performers are still underpaid for their work. Djimon Hounsou, who has appeared in Marvel and DC adaptations and been nominated for multiple Oscars, revealed that he still “[struggles] to make a living” despite his numerous high-profile roles. Considering Coon’s status as an Emmy-nominated actress, Infinity War‘s massive gross, and the fact Coon was doing more work than initially expected, it makes sense she would want a larger slice of the pie.

And it’s not as if Coon is alone on turning down Marvel over salary. John Malkovich, who finally joins the franchise in this summer’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps, passed on previous MCU projects because he felt as if he wasn’t being paid enough for what he described as “grueling” work. Marvel productions are large, time-consuming projects. Signing on for one could limit an actor’s opportunities to pursue other creative endeavors they’re interested in, so they want to make sure the money is worth the trouble. Proxima Midnight wasn’t the most significant character in Endgame, but it’s still a shame Marvel and Coon couldn’t come to an agreement.